ADVANTAGES OVER PAPER
Paper documents, received in an office, must be organized to be useful. Documents are labeled, sorted, stapled, placed in folders and filed in a cabinet. Without these steps, nothing can be found in a busy workplace. Electronic documents are no different. A document imaging system must have a comprehensive indexing system that organizes documents for future retrieval and use. Unlike a paper based filing system, however, retrieval can be rapid and highly accurate. Users get what they are looking for. The same document can be viewed simultaneously by more than one person. There is less chance that an important document will be lost or misplaced, even when ‘checked out’ for making a copy. Imaging allows user access to valuable, fragile or historical documents without risking damage to the original. Your entire organization will enjoy reduced costs for paper-based storage and distribution while making your information both more accessible and secure by your users.

MORE PRODUCTIVE WORKFLOW
A well designed workflow solution can automates your current paper shuffle. Routing of electronic documents can save your organization time and money by reducing manual tasks such as photocopying and hand delivery. Workflow tools can integrate with your email system or operate independently of it to provide an electronic ‘inbox’ that automatically notifies your staff of required tasks and alerts supervisors of potential bottlenecks or delays that may occur. The time spent ‘re-engineering’ your workflow to support document imaging can be well worth the investment in reduced costs and added benefits.

WEB DISTRIBUTION
Today, users demand easy access to documents via the Internet or your company Intranet. Document available electronically can be viewed with a browser, eliminating the need for client-side downloads. The imaging industry has made tremendous strides in ensuring that records management functions are infrastructure-friendly, transmitting compressed images for viewing and providing high-quality downloads when necessary for printing.

ENHANCED SECURITY
A robust document management system allow you to control what folders and documents a user can see and what actions they can perform on these items. You can easily review the who, what, and when regarding each document whether it is monitoring sensitive documents that require restricted access, tracking staff productivity, or documenting search activity among public records.

THOSE LEGAL ISSUES...
Document imaging has become commonplace. Numerous laws have arisen regarding the legality of the electronic record. Most government agencies now accept imaged documents as legal records, allowing paper original s to be stored off-site or in some cases even destroyed. Document imaging is a natural fit for anyone who must comply with Sarbanes-Oxley or HIPAA Privacy regulations. (Note: Organizations should consult with your attorney on the specific statues governing your industry and geographical areas.)